Building construction



' A ril 22, 192 1,491,404

W. H. HOUGHTON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed May 11, 1920 2Sheets-Sheet l A ril 22, 1924. 1,491,404

W. H. HOUGHTON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed May 11. 1920 2SheetsSheet 2 3 '-f-r' z/y INVEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

WILLIAM H. HOUGHTON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed May 11, 1920, Serial 1T0. 880,609. Renewed May 25,1922. Serial No. 563,873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Honori- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los-Angeles and Stateof California, have invented new and useful Improvements in BuildingConstructions, of which the following is a specification. Q

This invention is abuilding construction and has for its object theprovision of a locking joint between the units of the com structionarranged to form a wedging joint between the units tending to morefirmly connect one unit to another by the pressure exerted by one unitagainst another due to the weight supported by said units.

The invention will be readily understood from the following descriptionof the accompanying drawings, in which-.-

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a buildingconstruction constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the units of the buildingconstruction.

Fig. 3 is an end view ofthe same.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections through the same on the lines 44 and 5-5 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the building units used at thejoint between flooring and walls of the building construction.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the tie blocks of theconstruction.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a beam of thebuilding construction.

In the building construction illustrated in Fig. 1. the side walls andpartitions of the building and the cross beams, flooring and roof of thebuilding each consists of a plurality of blocks havingthe improvedlocking joint 'at their meeting edges for locking the various blockstogether.

The building is illustrated as supported upon a foundation A. andincludes cross beams B, outer side walls C, inner partitions D, flooringF. and roofing F. The beams of the building consist of a plurality ofblocks 1 arranged end to end to form said beams and having the improvedlocking connection between meeting ends of adjacent blocks. The meetingends of adjacent blocks are inclined relative to the sides of theblocks. thereby providing an overlapping inclined joint. The joint,preferably,

consists of a plurality of inclined end surfaces upon each block, asshown at 2 and' 3, this plurality of end joints being formed byoff-setting one of the inclined end surfaces,

say the surface 3, relative to the inclined end surface 2, as shown at4.

By this arrangement one end of each block comprises two tongues 5 and 6each having an inclined face, and the other end of the block comprisessimilar tongues 5" and 6' reversely arranged with relation to thetongues 5 and 6, so that the recesses formed between the tongues at oneend of a block will receive the tongues at the adjacent opposite end ofthe next block.

A stay 7 is, preferably, embedded in adjacent blocks of the beamconstruction for. providingadditional locking means between the blocks.This stay is shown as compris ing a web 7 arranged to extend lengthwiseof the beam and having cross flanges 7 at its respective ends arrangedto be received in the respective adjacent blocks. The

blocks for this purpose are provided attheir respective ends with alongitudinal recess 8 and a cross recess 9 arranged to'receive the Weband flange of the stay, respectively. Theserecesses extend from one 'ofthe sides of the blocks inwardly a sufficient distance so that the staymay be positioned within adjacent blocks with its inner edgeapproximately at the medial line of the blocks comprising the beam.

The portions of recesses 8 and 9 between the stay as this positioned andthe surface of the blocks may be filled with a suitablelocking'material, such as concrete as shown at 10. The beams, as thusconstructed, are,

preferably, positioned with the portion thereof. in which the stays areembedded, turned downwardly sothat the weight supported by said beamswill be exerted against said stays.

The flooring E and the roofing F support ed by beams B consist of aplurality of panels 11 arranged to. be laid upon the beams with themeeting side edges of adjacent panels provided with the improved lockingjoint. As an instance of this arrangement each pair of opposite sideedges of a panel 11 consists of inclined surfaces 2 and 3 off-set by thesurface 4,as previously described, the inclined surfaces at one of eachpair of side edges being reversely arwalls connected by suitable tieblocks. These double walls-are each formed of panels 11, but the panelsforming superimposed layers of the wall construction instead of meetingat adjacent edges are, preferably, separated by tie blocks 12 arrangedto span the space between the two walls comprising the double side walland partition construction. The tie blocks 12 may be either anappreciable width to form a double wall side wall construction in whichthe walls are separated an appreciable distance, or these tie blocks maybe relatively narrow so as to form double wall partitions in which thewalls have been slightly spaced apart.

The tie blocks are provided upon their upper and lower faces adjacentthe respective side edges thereof with inclined surfaces 2 and 3 off-setby the surface 4, as pre viously described, in order to form a jointwith the edges of the panels comprising the walls of the side walls andof the partitions. For this purpose the tongues 5 and 6 formed atone ofthe surfaces of the tie blocks are in alinement with the recesses formedbetween the tongues 5 and 6 at the opposite surface of the tie block, sothat the tie block will be arranged to form locking joints with oppositeends of the panels above and below said tie blocks. Furthermore, theinclined surfaces 2 and 3 at the opposite side edges of a tie block are,preferably, reversely inclined outwardly toward the respective sides ofthe tie block and the edges of the panels forming the two walls of thedouble wall 'construction are similarly reversely inclined.

By this construction it will be seen that a joint is formed between thetie blocks and the two walls of the double wall construction in whichthe weight carried by thewa'lls will force the reversely inclined edgesof the wall panels against the reversely inclined co-operating surfacesat the opposite edges of the tie blocks to firmly wedge the wall panelsto the tie blocks.

The side walls G are, preferably, supported at the first floor of thebuilding construction upon the flooring and upon a suitable water benchresting upon the foundation A and extending around the outside of theconstruction. For this purpose the upper surface of the water bench andthe panels of the flooring upon which the two walls of the side wallconstruction rest are provided with inclined surfaces 2 and 3'separatedby the off-set surface 4, as previously described, to provide memostongues 5 and 6 and intermediate grooves arranged to receive the tongues5 and 6' of the panels of the walls. In similar manner the floor panelsupon which are supported the panels of the double wall partitionconstruction are provided with reversely inclined sets of tongues 5 and6 formingrecesses, as previously described, and arranged to receive thetongues 5 and 6 of the panels forming the walls.

Windows H and doors I may be set in the walls as thus formed. For thispurpose the frames of the windows and the frames of the doors areconstructed of a plurality of units shown at 15 and 16 respectively,these units being provided with meeting ends similar to the meeting endsof the beam units 1, as previously described, for providing a lookingjoint between the units forming the frames. The surfaces of the units 15and 16 which are engaged by the edges of the panels forming the wallsare provided with tongues 5 and 6 formed therein, as previouslydescribed, and suitably positioned so as to form locking connectionswith the wall panels.

In practice it will be found desirable to make the tie blocks 12, whichare used in the side wall construction, hollow as shown at 17 to reducethe weight of the side walls, and in the construction of the partitionsD it may be found desirable to insert a layer of suitable material 18between the slightly spaced apart walls of the double wall partitions.

The beams at the roof of the first floor of a building construction areprovided upon their, under surface with suitably positioned sets ofinclined tongues 5 and 6' and recesses separated t ereby arranged toreceive the tongues 5 an 6 of the upper, panels of the wallconstruction. When a building is to be constructed of a height greaterthan one story, the flooring of the second floor is provided withrecessed surfaces, as previ-' 'ously described, for supporting thepanels of the walls of the second story, and the upper surfaces of thefloor beams are similarly recessed for this purpose.

In like manner the beams of successive stories of the building and theflooring thereof are provided with recessed surfaces to form the lockingconnections with the wall panels,and the panels forming the roofing Fare, preferably, similarly recessed to support extensions of the sidewalls of the building rising above the roofing and, preferably,

terminatingin a coping J. This coping may consist of a plurality ofunits 20 having lockingjoints attheir meeting ends similar to thelocking joints of the beam units, one of the under surface of the copingunits being also recessed, as previously described, to form lockingconnections With the panels of the side wall extensions. It will beunderstood that the surfaces of the floors, roofing and walls of thebuilding, as thus constructed, may be finished in any suitable manner,and it will also be obvious that the units forming the buildingconstruction may be formed of any suitable'material such as concrete,iron or wood.

While I have shownthe improved looking connection as employed betweenvarious units of a building construction, it will be obvious that thelocking connection is applicable to a great variety of uses beyond thespecific embodiments of the invention which I have illustrated anddescribed. Thus, for example, the locking connection may be used in allconstruction work including cellars, foundations and so forth, and isalso applicable for pipe construction, the building of sidewalks, fenceconstruction, the manufacture of boxes, and in fact wherever it isdesired to unite two units so that the weight thereupon will tend tomore firmly connect the parts.

will form a positive lock between any two units upon which it isemployed when pressure is exerted against said connection. The lockingconnection is always arranged so that the pressure exerted against thesame will tend to move the two units toward one another so that theinclined surfaces of one will slide over the inclined surfaces of theother to more firmly wedge one unit against another. The pressureexerted against such a locking connection acting against the same at thetop of the inclined abutting surfaces of the connection will in effectprovide a flat arch construction in which said pressure is exerted alongthe inclined surfaces.

The double wall construction forming the side walls and partitions ofthe building shown in Fig. 2, and the double wall of the constructionsuch as shown in Fig. 3 also carry out this principle of a flat archconstruction by means of the arrangement whereby the meeting edges ofthe panels of the respective walls are reversely inclined relative toone another so as to provide reversely inclined joints between thepanels of the double wall constructions, these double walls beingarranged so that the pressure exerted against the same and caused by theweight resting upon said walls will cause a tendency of the inclinedsurfaces of the respective panels to be shifted relative to one anotherso as to more firmlly wedge onepanel against an adjacent ane It will befurther observed that the looking connection which I have providedincludes means for accurately alining one unit relative to another bymeans of the cooperating tongues and recesses upon adjacent units. Bythis arrangement the locking connection in effect forms means wherebythe units are self-alined thereby insuring a proper alinement of wallsor other surfaces formed from units. having the improved lockingconnection.

Various changes may be made without departingfrom the spirit of theinvention as claimed.

What is claimed:

1. Units for a building construction having co-operating recesses andtongues each including a side inclined relative to the surfaces of saidunits, and a stay embedded in.

the ends of adjacent units and spanning the meeting ends thereof forholding the assembled units against relative displacement in alongitudinal direction. The locking connection which I provide 2. Unitsfor a building construction having co-operating recesses and tongueseach including a side parallel to the surfaces of said units and a sideinclined relative-thereto, and a stay embedded in the ends of adjacentunits and spanning the meeting ends thereof for holding the assembledunits rl against relative displacement in a longitudinal direction. 7

3. Units for a building construction having co-operating recesses andtongues each including a side inclined relative to the surfaces of saidunits, the meeting Tends of adjacent units having slots extendingtherein from one of the surfaces of said units and terminating short ofthe opposite surfaces, and stays received within said slots so as tospan said meeting ends and hold said units against relative displacementin the longitudinal direction.

4. Units for a building construction having co-operating recesses andtongues each including a side inclined relative 'to the surfaces of saidunits, the meeting ends of adjacent units having slots extending thereinfrom one of the surfaces of said units and terminating short oftheopposite surfaces, stays received within said slots so as to span saidmeetin ends and hold said units against relative displacement in alongitudinal direction, and a plastic filler in said slots against saidstays.

In testimony. whereof I have signed my name to this specification. 1

